Retirement (or Last of the Summer Wine)

Which is why I have not had a television for 3 years. I refuse to pay the best part of 200 smackers to that "you're guilty until proven innocent" nuisance TV licensing outfit, just so that I can have access to 50 or more channels of drivel. My time is more gainfully employed. On thing I remember from a one-day marketing course is that "good news does not sell newspapers". I buy a paper about once a week, usually to skim-read on the train. And to do the cryptic crossword.

Thumbs up to that one Slim. One paper a week is me as well. Why read the same old drivel over and over again.?

Hello, The Post office scandal investigation is proceeding. I've just picked up on this, this morning. By Esyllt Carr Business reporter Published 1 December 2025 Police officers investigating the Post Office Horizon IT scandal are now considering corporate manslaughter charges. In an update, shared with victims in the past few days, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said the investigation was currently focused on eight suspects, with five interviews conducted under caution. It said there were now 53 persons of interest, most of whom were likely to be raised to suspect status at a later stage in the probe. The NPCC said the investigation remains focussed on offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice, but it was also considering charges of corporate manslaughter. Companies, rather than individuals, face such charges. The Horizon IT system, which began operating in 1999, falsely created shortfalls in Post Office branches for which sub-postmasters were held liable. The scandal has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice. More than 900 people were prosecuted and some went to prison. Some died while waiting for justice. The criminal investigation into the scandal, Operation Olympos, began in 2020. A year ago, a team of about 100 officers was launched in four regional hubs, scaling up its activity after the end of the public phase of the inquiry into the scandal. Officers are now appealing to any former sub-postmasters who may have signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the Post Office to come forward, after it was confirmed that the NDAs would no longer be enforced. The NPCC said: "The primary and sole focus remains the offences of Perverting the Course of Justice and Perjury and this has not changed. "However, as was done with fraud offences previously, advice is being sought from the CPS around the offences of Corporate and Gross Negligent manslaughter." The chair of the public inquiry, Sir Wyn Williams, published the first part of his final report on 8 July and the second volume is expected next year. The police officer leading the investigation previously told the BBC that any criminal trials may not take place before 2028.

I'm not sure why this is included in this topic, but it goes back a long time. The key points are suspects being moved to caution. Caution is quite a move. It often means travel restrictions or anything that might hinder the investigations. Over fifty names of particular interest with eight looking quite grim. The NPCC said the investigation remains focussed on offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice, but it was also considering charges of corporate manslaughter. Companies, rather than individuals, face such charges.

As an IT person, I heard about this long before it became a mainstream scandal and couldn't believe that the software company hadn't suspected the software very early on. Software that is used by millions is riddled with errors, and corrections often spawn new errors. Bespoke software is much, much worse. Even old paperwork systems could have fundamental mistakes that might have escaped notice for years. I found one in a weekly record at work that was supposed to estimate the manpower available. The error only became obvious when you assumed that everyone was off work sick for some reason. As I taught people to use software, I impressed upon them to never assume that an unexpected result was automatically their fault. I don't doubt that the pressure and shame that this nightmare placed on innocent people caused early deaths.

I used to teach a course on concurrent programming some 25+ years ago. There are many subtleties to ensuring a database can be accessed and updated by multiple users at the same time. Although solutions to the basic problem were worked out in the 1970's it took until the 2000's before general solutions were proposed. When many agents are trying to access the same resources simultaneously the chance that even the computer hardware, nether mind the software, will behave unpredictably can not be ruled out completely. The computer controlled Therac-25 radiotherapy machine (1985-7) gave some patients fatal doses of 100 times what the operator had requested. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25 The one-fingered typist engineers could never replicate the fault. It turned out that the operators typed too quickly for the machine when entering the dose. Had a separate safety system that monitored the dose being given been implemented the fault would have been discovered before any fatalities. It's a pity that the Horizon terminals did not have a separate keystroke and screen recorder program so that an independent audit of activity could be done. I suspect Horizon used 'ad hoc' programming to overcome problems as they were discovered. Then lack of testing and known faults were covered up by management pressure. The question we all ask is why did not Post Office management question the number of post masters/mistresses that had suddenly become embezzlers who were pillars of the community and had run their post offices for decades.

Hello, As songs like the party is over start to ring in our ears, the news papers/media are printing headlines that try to look into the new year. I've seen seven headlines regards the state pension level for 2026/27. Every one inaccurate. Five totally ignore that there are two distinct levels. A pre 2016 level, plus a higher level for post 2016. The level that each pensioner receives depends on their contributions, which if you are receiving the pre-2016 level, it may be deficient in contributions or at maybe enhanced if you added serps or delayed your receipt starting date. There are are no serp facilities for the post 2016 pension, but it can be increased by delayed receipt. It's frustrating for me as accountant to see & witness such a failure of understanding coming from professional information journalists. There was a time when journalists knew their subjects very well. That's sadly a rare breed now. So, please ignore any £ numbers. The increase is 4.8%. So put your current base line in your calculator & times by 4.8%. That increase value, may be just an indication, because there are different elements to many pensions where a threshold may be crossed which may incur taxation. This poor sharing of facts which is why so many pensioners are not receiving what they are entitled to receive. There was a time when you could walk into any bank where most staff could accurately advise in minutes. Those days have passed just the same.

Moreover, in recent years I had a disagreement with those lovely people at HMRC. I disputed their figures for the tax year which runs from 6th April to 5th April each year. They were not very helpful and fobbed me off with "we go by the figures supplied to us by the DWP". (When were government and councils ever helpful to me? After all, they are the enemy of the public.) So I rang the DWP. I knew I was right with the figure I had calculated. It turns out that the DWP work to different dates, i.e. a different tax year, hence the discrepancy whereby HMRC insisted on a higher figure than mine. And more tax to pay that year. I reasoned that it would come out in the wash, as in that year I had to pay some tax which strictly belonged to the next tax year, in which I would pay less. It is more proof that when an organisation exceeds a certain size, it becomes inefficient; the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing; incompetence. For an even better example closer to home, just look at Warwick District Council. Their cockups would fill an entire volume so will not be listed here. Back to HMRC. Who, assuming they had common sense, would start a tax year with such silly dates? The year starts on 1st January in my book. My accountant once told me it was historical. I would have used the word hysterical.

Hello, The problem root isn't the staff & employees I believe. The education philosophy of info cramming, instead of problem solving. One of our members mentioned that in a recent post. The logic breaking down simply doesn't register.

Ah yes, numbers.... Data based on the collative numbers, not the real numbers. Cynically speaking of course, including a twist of a quote from my first mentor in the workplace. 4.8% of zero, is still zero, even if the 4.8% is the highest percentage rate offered, still as worthless as 3.8% of zero. On a lighthearted note, a good example of data manipulation, a finger counting trick, as child's play, a bit of fun among my junior school pals, and to quote: "I have eleven fingers" Holding both hands up, start counting down the fingers on one hand "Ten Nine Eight Seven Six" Then hold the other hand up, saying: "and five", followed by short pause, "six and five make eleven...." I wonder how many others did the same, or even saw the same during their school days. One other aspect of the forthcoming new year in days past, Old Moores Almanack

I came across this youtube video yesterday. I think it exemplifies what is missing from how we educate. But I recall from my schooldays we were told how fortunate we were to be receiving an education then because the Victorians would have expected us just to learn parrot fashion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cidn_Z4Vrc

Hello, I keep receiving invitations from Saga, to join a sea cruise. Such has never appealed to me. I suppose my trainspotting days of using a rover ticket comes close to the concept of not going anywhere with nothing much to do, the song that's going around in my head. Over the years I've enjoyed sea journeys, but there was a purpose in it, not just floating around in a tub might have been my mindset. Busy doing Nothing Friends of mine recently travelled aboard the QE2 to New York, only to return after a very short break. That sounded appealing, taking around twenty days to accomplish. Basically a transit cruise. The boat looked more like an ocean liner, initially designed with efficiency in speed of cutting through water. I think that it cost them around £3k, or just over, travelling together. There are YouTube videos of folk doing just that. I watched a recent one over the Christmas period with a couple enjoying the experience. It was almost like being with them for one way. I really enjoyed it. QE2 to New York

I think that the song might well be adopted as a theme song for most government and many business offices now

Hello Saga have sent me another offer advert this morning. They or an agent has probably bought block tickets. I've other things on my bucket list for the coming year, providing I'm still here. A bit brighter day today, hopefully.